Arlington Seeking Applications For Community Preservation Act Funding

ARLINGTON, MA — Arlington officials are reminding local organizations that they have until Oct. 6 to submit preliminary applications for Community Preservation Act (CPA) funding for the fiscal 2025 budget cycle.

The preliminary application is available online and, once submitted, will be reviewed by the Community Preservation Act Committee (CPAC). The committee will be looking at projects in various categories, including: the creation or preservation of open space, outdoor recreational facilities, affordable housing and historic preservation.

The funding, annually around $1.9 million, is raised via a property tax surcharge (1.5% of the net tax levy) and matching distributions from the Massachusetts Community Preservation Trust Fund.

Arlington voters approved the adoption of the CPA in 2014 and the first CPA grants were approved by the Annual Town Meeting in 2016.

Applying for the funding is done in two phases. The preliminary application is designed to ensure that proposed projects are eligible for CPA funding consideration.

The CPAC will evaluate preliminary applications and invite eligible applicants to submit a full final application, which is due in December 2023.

The committee will evaluate both preliminary and final applications at its regularly scheduled meetings, which are open to the public.

The final applications voted upon favorably by the CPAC will be recommended to Town Meeting for funding at Annual Town Meeting in April 2024.

The funding appropriated by Town Meeting will be available on or after July 1, 2024, which is the beginning of the fiscal year 2025.

Details about previously funded projects are available online.

Questions about the applications can be submitted to Julie Wayman, CPAC liaison, at [email protected] or 781-316-3005.